Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Security System and Method for Lottery Tickets
Technical Field
The present invention relates to lottery tickets and more particularly to a
security system and method for reducing fraudulent practices pertaining to
lottery
tickets.
Background Art
Instant lottery tickets issued by lottery service providers and/or lottery
ticket
manufacturers permit various levels of winning according to a pre-defined
prize
structure. The prize structure usually includes high-tier winning tickets
(e.g.,
redemption value of $600 and up), mid-tier winning tickets (e.g., redemption
value of
between $26 and $599 inclusive), low-tier winning tickets (e.g., redemption
value of
$25 and below) and losing tickets with no redemption (i.e., zero) value.
Depending
upon the structure, fewer or additional tiers may also exist. The winning
tickets are
randomly dispersed throughout a pool of tickets, with each pool of tickets
being sub-
dividable into books that are distributed to lottery ticket retailers. As an
example, one
pool of lottery tickets may include 300,000 tickets comprising 3,000 books
having
100 tickets each.
The physical tickets themselves typically comprise a game card with a game
play area on one face of the card, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, for
example. As
shown therein, the game play area 15 is typically printed on the game card and
provided with one or more scratch-off locations 20, 22 that are covered by a
coating
such as latex or acrylic resin. Game elements that help determine the outcome
of the
game appear underneath the coatings. For example, game elements can include
winning numbers 28 that are to be matched by player numbers 30 to win an
associated
prize 32.
For accounting, inventory, tracking and security purposes, the ticket can also
be provided with a book number identifier 34, a ticket number 36 and a
validation
code element or validation number 39. While validation number 39 is shown as a
numeric character, it will be appreciated that alpha-numeric characters or
other types
of codes can be used as the validation number. The book number and ticket
number
can be shown together and referred to as the "book-ticket" number in one
embodiment of the present invention. These elements can appear on the front or
back
of the ticket depending upon the implementation. In some cases, a coded ticket
identification symbol can be applied to the card instead of the book number
and ticket
number for security purposes. Further, a scannable barcode can be provided on
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ticket (usually on the back) to represent the ticket identifying information
and/or
validation number. In past ticket printing methods, a scratch off coating
(e.g., 38)
would typically cover the validation code, and the card would typically not be
honored if any part of the coating above the validation number 39 was
detectably
altered or removed prior to redemption. Labels such as "VOID IF REMOVED" were
also commonly placed on these portions of the card to appropriately warn the
player
as shown in Fig. 2. While present day ticket printing methods typically place
the
validation number (aka "VIRN") under the scratch-off coating in the game play
area,
such that it is revealed when the user scratches off the game play coverings,
it will be
appreciated that the present invention encompasses either form of presenting
the
validation number on the ticket.
Instructions 44 for playing the game can also appear on the face of the card,
along with, for example, the game name, game number, purchase price of the
ticket
33, number and amount of highest winning prizes available for the game (i.e.,
call out
17), total amount available to be won, prize claim process, and/or security
and
verification requirements.
Since the cash value of the ticket is determined at the time of printing, the
tickets must be designed and manufactured with appropriate security
precautions to
avoid ticket fraud. As a result, instant ticket games are typically designed
with
several security features to prevent tickets from being tampered with, forged
or
counterfeited. The security features employed in ticket design usually pertain
to the
validation number printed on the ticket and the coating applied to the play
areas 15 of
the ticket. It is understood that a key to controlling game security is to
generate and
use validation numbers that reveal no information about the winning status or
amount
of the ticket.
The ticket manufacturing process can employ different levels of security. In
what has been called "single pass security," there is a defined relationship
between the
ticket identification information (e.g., book number and/or ticket number) and
the
redeemable value of each ticket, wherein the relationship is stored in a
computer file.
One who knows the validation number or other ticket identification information
can
then determine the ticket's value if he or she has access to the computer
file. As a
basic example, in considering a table of values, one with access to the
computer file
can simply look up the validation number (or ticket number from the
identification
information) and see what ticket value is associated with the ticket having
that
validation number. As an alternative, one can run a computer program that
opens the
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computer file and performs an algorithm to determine the value associated with
a
ticket having a given validation number or given ticket identification
information.
In a more sophisticated form of security, often called "dual security," the
relationship between the ticket value and ticket identification information is
eliminated. Using this approach, one cannot ascertain a ticket's value by
merely
using the ticket identification information. Instead, the book number
generated by the
game generation program is converted to a different number, and the different
number
is then imaged and/or printed onto the ticket. In this way, one could not then
use the
book number and the file containing game data (i.e., the ticket generation or
"gen"
file) to ascertain the ticket's value. Nevertheless, the validation number
could still be
used to determine the ticket's value as in the single pass security example
above.
Efforts to improve upon dual security are described, for example, in U.S.
Patent No. 7,374,484 to Bennett, III. The background information describing
single
pass and dual security is incorporated by reference herein. As described
therein, book
numbers (i.e., pack numbers) are shuffled in each pool of tickets before the
tickets are
printed according to a shuffling algorithm, where the shuffle seeds are
maintained in
an encrypted file or files. One of the stated advantages of this "keyed dual
security"
approach is that it severs the relationship of the ticket identification
information with
the ticket value, such that would-be illicit activities can be thwarted.
A primary disadvantage of such keyed dual security efforts is that there still
remains a relationship between the book number and the existence of high-tier,
mid-
tier and low-tier winning tickets. Thus, for example, suppose that 3,000 books
of
lottery tickets, with 100 tickets per book, are printed and ticket book number
one
contains a high-tier winning ticket. This ticket book number can be shuffled
such that
a different ticket book number, e.g., #2168, is actually printed on the
ticket, and is
now different from the book number stored on the computer file for this book.
Even
though the book number has been shuffled, an unscrupulous lottery employee or
a
knowledgeable player with access to the original generation file can use a
validation
number (e.g., by scratching off the latex coating) or book number on the
ticket to
determine which book that ticket is associated with, and then subsequently
determine
whether that book of tickets has a high-tier prize associated with it.
If so, then the player may subsequently purchase the remaining book of tickets
in an effort to obtain the ticket with the high-tier prize. Since books are
sold in units
to retailers, the player will likely need to simply purchase the remaining
tickets from
the book at the same retailer location. Even if the book number has changed,
that is
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irrelevant to the player, because the player knows that there is a high-tier
winner in
the book that he has located by chance.
Disclosure of Invention
The present invention overcomes such problems of keyed dual security
systems by providing a system and method of printing lottery tickets that
first
generates the game generation file without including the high-tier prizes.
This file can
be verified using a verification program. The original generation file also
creates a
list of validation numbers from books that do not have any high and/or mid-
tier
winning tickets. In other words, the list of validation numbers only comes
from books
that have low-tier winning tickets. In one embodiment, only validation numbers
associated with zero-value tickets from within the identified books are
incorporated
into the list. Validation numbers are unique for all tickets in a game and are
hidden
under the coating in the printing process as is known in the art.
Next, the present invention utilizes a second and separate secured process
that
selects validation numbers randomly from the created list, and assigns high-
tier ticket
data to the record containing the selected validation numbers. Thus, the zero-
value
ticket has been replaced with a high-tier value ticket. The information is
stored in a
new or second generation file that can be contained on a separate file server
from the
original generation file, invoking increased access control and monitoring for
additional security purposes. This new generation file contains the raw ticket
data
that is used in the printing of the tickets, and this file can be verified
using object code
from the original verification program.
Accordingly, book numbers need not be shuffled or modified. Nevertheless,
the high-tier prizes have been seeded in places unknown by the original
generation
file, and further the high-tier prize data has been disconnected from the
other tickets
originally generated in the same book. Those with access to the original
generation
file cannot gather any information on the high-tier prizes or re-create the
high-tier
seeded data file.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the ticket reconstruction
process
can be preserved and similarly separated into two steps. The book-ticket
number is
passed to a computer program that can determine the validation number
originally
assigned to that book-ticket number. A second and separate secured process
then uses
the validation number to determine the value of the ticket.
Brief Description of Drawings
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Figs. 1 and 2 show an example lottery ticket such as might be employed in
connection with the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a lottery ticket manufacturing process
in
accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 4 shows a table with an exemplary prize structure.
Fig. 5 shows a sample pool of tickets illustrating the division of a pool of
tickets into multiple books having multiple tickets each.
Fig. 6 illustrates a table of values that can appear in a generation file in
accordance with one aspect of the present invention.
Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the high tier winner seeding
process
in accordance with one aspect of the present invention.
Fig. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a lottery ticket manufacturing process
in
accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the separated storage aspects of one
embodiment of the present invention and resulting security benefits.
Fig. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a lottery ticket reconstruction process
in
accordance with the present invention.
Modes for Carrying Out the Invention
The present invention employs security processes to assist in preventing
fraudulent practices with lottery ticket games. As shown in the flow diagram
70 of
Fig. 3, the present invention first produces prize structure data associated
with a
lottery ticket game as at step 71. The prize structure data includes a
distribution of
winning tickets and winning ticket amounts for a predetermined number of
tickets to
be employed in a game. Fig. 4 shows a table 60 of an exemplary prize structure
for a
lottery ticket game, based on a total ticket generation of 32,400,000 tickets.
The prize
values (i.e., ticket value representations) 62 are determined and associated
with
individual tickets in random fashion. Typically, lottery tickets will be
separated out
into multiple pools, with each pool having multiple books of tickets. Thus,
using the
exemplary prize structure shown in table 60 of Fig. 4, the 32,400,000 tickets
could be
divided into 10 pools of 3,240,000 tickets. Each pool could have 32,400 books,
with
each book having 100 tickets. It will be appreciated that the specific numbers
being
used are for illustration only, and specific implementations of the present
invention
can differ greatly in the number of tickets, pools and/or books without
differing from
the spirit of the invention disclosed and claimed herein,
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Other information can be represented in the prize structure table 60 that may
or may not be used in printing individual lottery tickets, such as, for
example, odds of
winning each prize, total odds of winning, number of winners per pool and
total prize
money available. In one embodiment of the present invention, there are high-
tier
winning tickets, low-tier winning tickets and zero value tickets only in the
prize
structure. In another embodiment of the present invention, there are high-
tier, mid-
tier, low-tier and non-winners. It will be appreciated that the present
invention can
accommodate any distribution and categorization of ticket prize structures and
the
present disclosure is illustrative of specific examples and should not be
considered to
be the only implementations available.
The present invention employs an appropriate prize structure generation
program associated with a game generation program in order to develop a given
prize
structure for a game having a predetermined number of tickets for a lottery
game. In
one embodiment of the present invention, the prize structure is generated such
that
each pool contains an equal percentage of prizes in each category. Thus, with
reference to the table 60 in Fig. 4, for example, if the prize structure shown
is
distributed over ten pools of tickets, then there would be one $10 million
winner per
pool, twenty-one $10 thousand dollar winners per pool and so forth. Once the
prize
structure is developed, the game generation program of the present invention
can
generate the original generation file of game data so as to populate each
ticket with a
ticket value representation associated with the prize structure, with the
exception that
any high-tier prize data would be excluded from the original generation file
as
described more completely hereafter. In the embodiment where multiple pools
are
involved, the game generation program uses the prizes per pool information to
generate the ticket value representation for each ticket within the pool.
Thus, instead
of placing $10 winning ticket value representations among 806,400 tickets, the
game
generation program would place $10 winning ticket value representations in
80,640
tickets in a pool. Such a process can more equally distribute prizes among the
multiple pools. Fig. 5 represents an illustration of a different and
simplified pool 63
having twenty-four individually labeled books of twelve tickets each. Each
ticket is
represented by a rectangle (e.g., 65) within a book.
With reference back to Fig. 3 at step 72, the game generation program of the
present invention then generates game data to be stored in a computer file
(i.e., game
generation file or "gen file"). The gen file created by the game generation
program
includes a record for each ticket organized according to pool, book or pack
number
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and ticket number. Fig. 6 is a table 48 showing an example extract of such a
gen file,
showing the game number at 50, the book number at 51, the ticket number at 52,
the
validation number at 53, the barcode representation at 54 and the game
play/play code
information 55 that includes the cash value of the ticket. In one embodiment
of the
present invention, the play code information 55 is not coded but directly
shows the
winning redemption value of the ticket (e.g., $0, $5, $10). Either way, the
play code
information or actual redemption value of the ticket acts as the ticket value
representation for the ticket. In another embodiment of the present invention,
the gen
file created and recorded includes only a validation number and a ticket value
representation, with ticket identifying information not being stored. In
accordance
with the present invention and as shown at step 72, the original gen file of
game data
is created without including high-tier winners/prizes. Thus, while the gen
file creates
records associated with each ticket for the predetermined number of tickets,
it does
not include any of the predetermined high-tier winners or their ticket value
representations. Instead, the original gen file includes zero-value (or
optionally low-
tier) ticket value representations for each instance where a high-tier winning
ticket
value representation would otherwise appear. As a result, anyone with access
to the
original gen file would not be able to determine which ticket or book number
held a
high tier prize.
It will be appreciated that the designation of what constitutes a high-tier,
mid-
tier or low-tier ticket value representation can change from implementation to
implementation. For example, one implementation of the present invention can
designate a high-tier winning ticket value as anything $600 or above, while
another
may designate a high-tier value as anything $1,000,000 or above. In the latter
example, mid-tier winning ticket value representations could encompass prizes
between $10,000 and $1,000,000. Regardless of implementation, the original gen
file
would include zero-value or optionally low-tier ticket value representations
for the
selected high-tier ticket value representations from the original prize
structure data.
It will further be appreciated that at least some of the originally generated
ticket value representations will correspond to the ticket value
representations
associated with the prize structure data for the game. For example, the
originally
generated ticket value representations can include the zero, low-tier and mid-
tier
ticket value representations from the prize structure data. In the embodiment
of the
present invention without mid-tier ticket value representations, the
originally
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generated ticket value representations would therefore only include the zero
and low-
tier value representations from the prize structure data.
Once created, the original gen file information is then verified using a
verification program and stored, as illustrated in step 73. In one embodiment
of the
present invention, the gen file data is stored in a first storage location
kept secure and
separate from other information described herein. As at step 74, the present
invention
then proceeds to identify books containing only low-tier winning tickets
(i.e., no mid-
tier winning tickets). These are the books from which high-tier winning
tickets will
eventually be found. In performing this step, the present invention
essentially
overlooks the books already laden with mid-tier winning ticket value
representations
so as not to overpopulate such books with an inordinate number of higher value
(i.e.,
non low-tier) winning tickets. Once the books with only low-tier winning
tickets are
located, a list of the validation numbers for the tickets having zero-value
within such
books is created, at step 75. From that list, one or more validation numbers
are
randomly selected for seeding with high tier winning prize data, as at step
76. A
computer program running a suitable algorithm can be used for the random
selection
of validation numbers. A new record of validation numbers and high tier
winning
prize data is then stored for each ticket validation number having a high tier
prize as at
step 77. The game tickets are then printed using this second file having the
high tier
winning prize data seeded therein, as at step 78. In the embodiment of the
present
invention where the ticket identifying information is not stored in the
original gen file,
such ticket identifying information can be stored in the second file, i.e.,
the high tier
seeded data file. Alternatively, the ticket identifying information need not
be stored
in either file and can be added at the time of printing.
Fig. 7 illustrates the creation of the seeded high tier winner data. As shown
therein, the books having only low-tier winning ticket value representations
are
located and indicated at 80. When the random seeding program 95 is run, the
program creates the list of validation numbers associated with the zero-value
tickets
from the identified books 80, and randomly selects validation numbers (e.g.,
82) for
associating high-tier winning ticket value representations. High-tier prizes
from the
prize structure data are then tied to respective validation numbers and new
records
comprising respective pairs of validation numbers and high-tier ticket value
representations are stored in a new file, as indicated at 88. In one
embodiment of the
present invention, the actual prize information is not stored, but a game
play/play
code data representation of the prize is stored as the ticket value
representation. Thus,
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instead of storing "$10,000" the field entry might say "DZ7T7513AO9". At this
stage, all of the validation numbers from the remaining records in the
original gen file
and their associated ticket value representations can be stored in the new
file
containing the high-tier winning prize data. Ultimately, all of the prizes
from the
prize structure data, and no more and no less, are represented in the new
generation
file.
The block diagram of Fig. 8 illustrates the components employed in one
embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating
the
separated storage aspects of one embodiment of the present invention and
resulting
security benefits. As shown therein, the prize structure and game generation
program
90, which can be separate programs, create the initial game generation file
92, which
is stored in database 93. Database 93 can be associated with a first secure
server (e.g.,
103 in Fig. 9). A verification program 94 verifies the data in the original
gen file.
The random seeding program 95 then associates high-tier prizes produced by the
prize
structure program with randomly selected validation numbers from the original
gen
file to develop the second generation file, i.e., the high-tier seeded data
file 96. This
file 96 is then stored in database 97, which can be associated with a second
secure
server (e.g., 105 in Fig. 9) separate and apart from the first secure server
(103 in Fig.
9). This file contains the raw ticket data used to print tickets, and the file
is verified
using object code 98 from the original verification program 94. The raw ticket
data
file is then formatted and used to print the tickets using printer 99. In
printing the
tickets, the computer system of the present invention includes programming and
hardware that facilitates the placement of the raw ticket data from the seeded
file on
each ticket. For example, the computer program can operate to direct a printer
or
image applying device to place the appropriate game data on the ticket paper
stock/substrate. It will be appreciated that the method of applying images and
printed
matter onto a substrate such as instant lottery tickets is well known, and can
employ
any of a number of printer types, inks and other materials.
It will be appreciated that all file servers involved in the processes of the
present invention can be placed on their own sub-network with defined
read/write
access restrictions. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, there may be a first
program, file
and/or storage location 101 for prize structure production data 102, a second
program,
file and/or storage location 103 for the game generation data/original gen
file 92, and
a third program, file and/or storage location 105 for the random seeding
program 95.
The second generation file (i.e., high tier seeded data file) 96 can also be
stored in
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another separate storage location. This assists in securing the lottery ticket
information developed in the ticket manufacturing process of the present
invention.
Thus, as shown in Fig. 9, if the prize structure data file 102 is compromised,
the
holder only knows information 107, which can comprise the data in table 60 of
Fig. 4.
This information 107 does not associate ticket data with prize winning data.
If the
original gen file 92 is misappropriated, the holder only knows ticket
identifying data
and validation numbers associated with non-winning tickets as well as possibly
low
and/or mid-tier winning tickets as indicated at 108, but does not know
information
about any high tier winning tickets. If the random seeding program 95 is
compromised, whoever has access to it can only determine validation numbers
and
prize data, or alternatively validation numbers and code data representative
of prize
data, with no knowledge of book and ticket data, as indicated at 109. Thus,
any
individual with access to the random seeding program 95 does not gain any
knowledge that can help in trying to fraudulently deduce high tier winning
tickets or
individual books that may hold the high tier winning tickets.
Ticket Reconstruction
As shown in Fig. 10, when a player attempts to redeem his or her winning
ticket, the validation number is determined as at 110, such as by scratching
off the
coating over the validation number or by scanning the ticket barcode to obtain
the
book and ticket numbers. The original validation number 112 can be derived by
inputting the book and ticket number into programming that accesses the
database 93
holding the original gen file. Once obtained, the original validation number
112 can
be input into a separate secure program that accesses database 97 with the
seeded high
tier winning data file 96 to determine the value of the ticket as at 116.
Ticket reconstruction assists lottery operators such as state lotteries by
allowing ticket data and/or relevant areas of the play area for a ticket to be
re-
generated for security and other purposes. For example, when a ticket is
partially
damaged or when there is a question as to whether a ticket has been illegally
altered,
the lottery operator can request the ticket vendor or. lottery system provider
to
reconstruct the ticket. The lottery operator may present the book-ticket
number, for
example, to the vendor or lottery system provider and request the validation
number
and ticket value for that ticket. Alternatively, the lottery operator may
present the
book-ticket number and request game play data or a quasi-original looking
ticket for
verification purposes.
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It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that any computer system that
includes suitable programming means for operating in accordance with the
disclosed
methods also falls well within the scope of the present invention. Suitable
programming means include any means for directing a computer system to execute
the steps of the system and method of the invention, including for example,
systems
comprised of processing units and arithmetic-logic circuits coupled to
computer
memory, which systems have the capability of storing in computer memory, which
computer memory includes electronic circuits configured to store data and
program
instructions, programmed steps of the method of the invention for execution by
a
processing unit. The invention also may be embodied in a computer program
product,
such as a diskette or other recording medium, for use with any suitable data
processing system. The present invention can further run on a variety of
platforms,
including Microsoft WindowsTM, LinuxTM, Sun SolarisTM, HP/UXTM, IBM AIXTM and
Java compliant platforms, for example. The present invention can further be
operated
using multiple computers and/or computer systems communicating over a network,
which may be a local area network, wide area network, private or public
network,
such as the Internet, for example.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing
from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments
are
therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not
restrictive, the scope of
the invention being indicated by the claims of the application rather than by
the
foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range
of
equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
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